Let Byhooves be Byhooves
by outlaw4rc
Summary: Rainbow Dash must work together on a special weather assignment with Flying High, a pegasus who she was good friends with in the past until an unfortunate event ended their friendship. Is their friendship really over and what happens when on assignment, they encounter something that could threaten to wipe Ponyville off the map?
1. A Jam in the Sky

**Let Byhooves be Byhooves**

**Written by outlaw4rc**

* * *

**Author's Note:**

This is a story I initially wrote back in early 2011. Then I used elements from this fic in order to create _Return to Flight, _so you may notice similarities between the two. While I did perform a few edits for better readability, the narrative is essentially the same as I originally wrote it.

* * *

**Disclaimer:**

Twilight: Wait! Let me find a really good book to help write a proper disclaimer.  
Fluttershy: A...disclaimer? That sounds scary! *hides under table*  
Pinkie: What's a disclaimer? Is that a tasty cake treat? Oh, can I throw it a party?!  
Applejack: No, Pinkie! It's some fancy thang to put before a story but why in tarnation do we need one?  
Rarity: A disclaimer? That was SO yesterday! I may have some suggestions on something more appropriate like...  
Rainbow: What's the hold up?! Hurry up with the story already!

* * *

**Chapter 1 - A Jam in the Sky**

The new orders from the Weather Committee had just come down: Rain to be cleared by noon today. Sunny skies scheduled for the next two weeks.

Somepony made a major mistake in calculating how much rain Ponyville needed for the last month. The cloud factory workers and the weather teams had worked their hooves off providing non-stop rain to the parched town for an entire week and their new orders were quite a welcome sight, especially for Rainbow Dash, the weather team leader. She got the orders at the weather team's meeting room, a space with nothing more than endless rows of benches and a podium at the front.

"All right!" Rainbow Dash hoof-pumped in approval. "I am _so_ taking a vacation after this! After all, _I_ deserve it for working so hard!"

"Ahemmmmmmmmm!"

Memo to self. Speaking aloud when standing by an open microphone is a bad idea. All her subordinates grumbled their displeasure, mixed in with some hoof shaking. She needed something to save her hide, fast!

She laughed nervously, "I meant that _we _should get a vacation for working so hard! It's not our fault somepony can't do math. Right?"

The weather teams cheered in unison and then started chanting, "Time off! Time off! Time off!"

Rainbow swiped perspiration off her forehead. Now she can continue with her agenda. "All right. Listen up!"

The weather teams settled down, giving her their undivided attention.

"We all know our assignments. Split up to your respective teams. Team B, you guys have to deal with the special orders. Everypony else, clear those skies, pronto! Once you're done, report back to me and then, you get the rest the day off!"

The weather teams hollered in unison.

"Damn right! Let's do it!"

In seconds, the room cleared of all pegasi, the last being the team leader. She was in no hurry as her task for the day was the simplest; wait for her team at the rendezvous point above the Ponyville city limits. A boring job that required taking a nap on a cloud while waiting, but somepony had to do it.

Eventually, each group had performed their duties and had awakened Rainbow for approval to leave early, that is, all teams except Team B.

Their specific orders were to take most of the clouds all the way to the other side of the Everfree Mountain Range and then push them up to the Everfree Jet Stream, an air current that weaved its way all across Equestria. A group named the Equestrian Weather Agency needed them; they served as the weather team for areas outside of local teams, such as mountains and forests. While they had employees, they had no cloud factories. That's why the organization placed constant requests to towns to send some up into the stream. Their agents had the capabilities in reaching the currents without much difficulty and fetch whatever they needed for their jobs.

Such a task was time consuming, but by Rainbow's estimate, Team B should've been done by noon. Glinting at the sun, they were an hour late and counting.

"What's taking them so long?" she muttered, hooves crossed. Then, her stomach muscles churned. "I'm _so_ hungry! I should be at Pinkie's _Rain-B-Gone _party by now!"

Suddenly, the Team B leader, a dark grey pegasus mare, came her way at speeds way too slow. When she was within Rainbow's earshot, "Um, Rainbow? We may a problem."

The leader's mind heard something else. "Great, Misty! Your team can go home now! Bye!"

Rainbow blasted off toward Sugarcube Corner, only to slam the brakes seconds later. She came back at a more tepid pace, forelegs on hips.

"Wait. _Problem?_"

Misty nodded rapidly, "Yes, big problem!"

"Well?"

"You see—" The subordinate inhaled all the air around her for a fast-paced speech.

" —Foggy wasn't here today because he had an appointment today with the barber and that got me thinking about dying my mane in a different color. I always wanted to do a dark purple but I saw my best friend do that once and it came out all wrong and she ended up crying for days and days and days and so my friends and I decided to throw a special dinner to cheer her up but I had forgotten what her favorite food was so I had to buy a little bit of everything and I was in luck because I got a good deal at—"

By now, Misty noticed that Rainbow's pupils had shrunk to pinpricks, her brow slated downwards. One more wrong word and her leader would melt her with that look alone.

"Oh, sorry," Misty spoke, tapping together her hooves. "How about if I show you what the problem is?"

Rainbow's appetite disagreed with a hearty growl, but her head could take no more of Misty's penchant for incessant rambling. Asking for a detailed description of this problem would guarantee a migraine of epic proportions. "Fine," she relented. "Let's see what you guys screwed up."

The mares accelerated straight toward the tall and rugged mountains, aiming for the safe and short path that ran on the range's south side. Rainbow enjoyed taking this route, for it had tight turns through narrow canyons and endless tree branches ready to slice pony hide if one flew too close too fast. This would've been a fun diversion except she not only had a slow ride along but one that decided to spend the trip with more yammering.

"My head," the weather leader whined, rubbing her forehead.

As Rainbow cleared the mountains, she had no need stopping Misty's one-sided conversation for an explanation. She could literally see how big this problem was, a hovering white pancake stack in the sky, no syrup included. Team B was at the bottom, collectively pushing against the cloud pillar with relentless persistence. Once they noticed Rainbow and Misty's arrival, the team gave it one last feeble attempt.

Those clouds refused to budge.

Resigned, the members faced Rainbow as a deer would a hungry wolf. Rather than run, they hovered in place, waiting for a tongue-lashing.

"I can't believe this!" Rainbow snapped, raising her hooves. "How could you screw this up so badly?"

Everypony cowered in fear.

"I _told_ you not to push them up too fast or you'll clog up the Jet Stream!"

"Huh? Team B answered. After a brief consultation with one another, they all shook their heads, whispering a negative answer.

"Ughhh, what do you mean, _no_? Of course I told you!"

Misty interjected, "I'm pretty sure you didn't. I remember you coming in late, then—"

Rainbow held her hoof like a stop sign, "Whatever! The details aren't important!"

One of the other team members spoke, "So, what are we supposed to do? The jam's right at the top. There's no way we can reach that high."

Rainbow waved them off. They can't reach that high, what a silly thing to say! Well, maybe for them it would be true but she was Rainbow Dash. Her awesomeness alone would be enough for this task! All she had to do was make the ascent and for that, she focused her attention to her final destination, the top of the cloud stack. With a slow rotation, Rainbow drew an imaginary line to her best reference point, the tallest mountain in this region.

_Huh? That can't be right. That thing is way taller than that peak over there!_

She repeated the exercise and reached the same conclusion; reaching the Jetstream was the same as climbing at least one and a half of that snow-covered peak. That would be no problem if Rainbow could claim that she had ever been in that relative altitude and she could, once, for a scant few minutes. Then she ran out of oxygen and spiraled out of the sky, her saving grace that Applejack lassoed Rainbow out of trouble from Twilight's hot air balloon. Clearly, this was _not_ a job for Rainbow Dash, much to her chagrin. She chose to hide that frustration and play it cool.

"We'll just report this to the Weather Committee and we'll let those eggheads handle it!" she announced, beaming.

Her stomach also had an important declaration, a loud one that everypony caught.

Rainbow blushed, "Heh, heh, heh. Yeah, does anyone have an extra lunch with them right now?"

* * *

Two days later, Rainbow Dash rested on a tree trunk on the top of a grassy hill, having enjoyed a nice-mid morning picnic with Twilight and Pinkie Pie. The former chose that some heavy reading on astrology was her best use of some down time while the latter had just jammed her head into a big cake, ready to eat it from the inside out. Rainbow already had dessert so naturally, a long nap was in order.

An arriving Derpy Hooves canceled her plans for a siesta. She had a letter to deliver, an important one if it required personal delivery.

"Oh, is that for me?" Rainbow mumbled, yawning. Grabbing the plain white envelope, "Thanks, I guess." She gestured at the spread laid across the nearby checkerboard cloth. "Help yourself if you want."

Without a word, Derpy sat right beside the batch of muffins and began munching ravenously. Crumbs showered right into Twilight's tome, breaking its hold on the studious unicorn.

"Ugh!" Twilight slammed the book shut. Before she could teach Derpy about proper eating habits, she noticed Rainbow tearing open her mail. "Oh, what do you have there, Rainbow?"

Rainbow unfurled the letter. "It's from the Weather Committee."

"What does it say?"

She spent all of two seconds speed-reading the letter until reaching a key word. "An _assignment_?" Rainbow slapped the sheet, "Don't those eggheads know I'm on vacation?"

Gears within the smart unicorn's head clicked, triggering trepidation in her tone. "What's this assignment, Rainbow? Please don't tell me the weather's changing again! I have a stargazing session planned a few days from now that I'm _really_ looking forward to!"

"What a surprise," Rainbow retorted with an eye roll. "Hold on. Let me read this out to you guys."

Pinkie immediately pulled herself out of the cake. Dessert can wait for a story, no matter how dreary.

Rainbow coughed to clear her throat.

"Rainbow Dash, you are hereby assigned to provide assistance to an agent from the Equestrian Weather Agency. Please write a letter of introduction to the agent with instructions on an initial rendezvous point and give it to Derpy Hooves, ASAP, for immediate delivery. The agent will provide you with what you need in order to enter—"

The magenta in her eyes shimmered.

"—high altitude flight in order to clear the jam together."

Rainbow lowered the now-shaking letter, her smile widening by the second.

"You all right?" Twilight asked, leaning away from Rainbow.

The brash mare grabbed onto Twilight's shoulders. "Do you know what this means?" she said excitedly.

"Umm—"

"I'm going higher than any other pony has gone before!"

Rainbow suddenly somersaulted up into the air, her fanmare squeal broadcasting her exhilaration to the town below. The letter left Rainbow's grasp, floating closer to a punch bowl; Pinkie intercepted it for the save.

Twilight scratched her noggin, befuddled that Rainbow would wriggle and twist in mid-air celebration. "I don't get it. Since when do you get this excited about work?"

Communication proved pointless. Rainbow had entered into a daydream on how adding _high-altitude_ _flight_ to her already impressive resume would, in a series of confusing and convoluted events, lead into earning a spot into the Wonderbolts. _Every_ daydream ended with her being a Wonderbolt.

Pinkie had dreams too, the same one that she fulfilled at every opportunity. This parchment on her hooves gave her the perfect opening. "We're going to have a guest? We haven't had one in town since… yesterday! Do you know what this calls for?"

Twilight's eyes bulged. "Ummm, Pinkie, I don't think we should—"

"A _party_!" Pinkie exclaimed with the obligatory and random confetti.

The unicorn groaned. As a good friend, she had an important duty to set things straight and what better way than a stern lecture. "Pinkie, the agent is coming to perform a job, not to have fun. Besides, I don't think somepony from the"—Twilight air-quoted—"_Equestrian Weather Agency_ would enjoy parties."

Pinkie giggled. "Oh, silly! Everypony has a little party in them and I'm just the pony for the job! Oh, but it should be a surprise! Everyone just loves surprise parties!" Swiveling to Rainbow, she pleaded, "Please let me set everything up, Dashy! I'll even write the letter for you! Huh, huh, huh, huh, huh? Please, please, please, please, pleaseeeeeeeeee?"

Rainbow snapped out of her fantasy. Less work was always a good decision. "Oh, yeah. Go for it."

More random confetti rained down, "Yippie! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Oh, what to write? What to write?" At the flip of a switch, Pinkie's fervent energy retracted like pushing a jack-in-the box back into its container. She sat down on the white and red cloth for some chin rubbing—party business was serious business.

Obviously, Twilight had lost this battle, just like with every other engagement in her crusade against unnecessary celebrations. "Okay, I guess we can throw a party but—"

"A party?" Rainbow blurted out, sparkles floating around her head. "That means I can do a splashy entrance! Oh, you're such a genius, Rainbow! That will really _wow _the wings off the agent! Ok. I need an idea but… Fluttershy can help me! Yeah, maybe she can—"

"_Rainbow_," Twilight snapped.

"—help me with an intro…" The pegasus faced Twilight, unaware of the unicorn's tense face muscles. "You said something?"

Twilight calmed down, knowing that needed a motherly tone mixed in with her lesson of the day. "Please don't. Remember what happened last time you tried to do a flashy entrance at a party? The big mess you made, all the ponies you—"

Rainbow scoffed, "Oh, you worry too much Twilight! I just need to practice some more, that's all! Oh, I should do that now! Bye!" In a flash, she engaged the afterburners and escaped into the spring sky.

"Rainbow, wait! _No flashy entrance!_"

Twilight flailed her hooves, trying to get Rainbow's attention but it was too late. She was gone.

"Ohhhhhhhh," she moaned, covering her face in disappointment.

Pinkie bounced up from the grass. "Got it! I need to go home and start working on the letter, pronto! Oh, this surprise party will be so good and I can even do a song!" Setting course toward Sugarcube Corner, she bounced away from the picnic site, ignoring the two remaining mares.

The unicorn heard crunched grass, alarming her. "Pinkie, wait! No surprise! No song!"

Twilight flailed her hooves, trying to get Pinkie's attention but it was too late. She was gone. Once was bad, but twice made her blood boil.

Stomping everything in her vicinity, "Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

Meanwhile, Derpy finished devouring the last of her favorite treat. She may have kept quiet throughout the ordeal, but she did hear every syllable said. If Pinkie was leaving the picnic, so was she. After all, the party pony was writing that letter, not Rainbow Dash, so her important and time-sensitive duty began the moment Pinkie dotted the last period.

"Letter!" she remarked, fluttering in Pinkie's direction.

Twilight had just squished a sandwich when she noticed a departing shadow. That would've been a nonissue except her rampage created a food and drink explosion on top of a hill.

"Derpy , wait! Help me clean this up!"

Twilight waved her hooves, trying to get Derpy attention but it was too late. She was gone.

Steam billowed out of the unicorn's nostrils. Teeth gritted with impunity. Fiery sparks spat off Twilight's horn, scorching the grass into a wilted brown. Twilight's pent-up wrath was at the verge of igniting her hair and turning her eyes blood red but at the last second, logic and reason smoldered her temper into a smoky mist. No, she would _not_ go through that again. It was unhealthy, counterproductive and required an extensive and expensive hair salon trip. Instead, she released her frustration like the other two times, with a drawn-out sigh.

"Why won't anypony listen to me today?" Twilight lamented.


	2. Reporting for Duty

**Chapter 2 - Reporting for Duty**

Off-limits.

A floating sign by the cloud stack warned any passers-by that approaching what was a cotton traffic jam in the sky was a bad idea. Then again, there was no real point. Its location was remote, far away from civilization and any established flying routes. No pony even came within five miles from the moment Rainbow's team left until mid-day Friday morning when a heather gray pegasus stallion approached the site, carrying two lumpy saddlebags and a small pouch.

Noticing an open green field within a pine forest, he made haste dumping the two heaviest burdens on the ground. After wiping off some perspiration from his face, the stallion sped right up to the cloud obstruction and then moved up his leather goggles, revealing his dark olive eyes. He needed them for what became a ten-minute visual inspection from the bottom to a few thousand feet above sea level, making mental notes as he revolved around his item of interest.

Once he finished, the pony returned to retrieve his items but stopped just above his luggage. Everything appeared the same condition as he left it except something bugged him enough to check the contents just in case. First, he rummaged through the green bag; everything checked out fine. When he inspected the orange bag, however, a confused eyebrow raised.

"The letter's not here," the pony spoke with a young surfer's tone.

He turned his attention to the pouch still on him by his cutie mark, a slanted up Pegasus wing with two small contrails behind it. Opening the flap, he discovered nothing more than a few hygiene products and a notepad, the items he expected in there, not including the one that had him rubbing his ruffled Smalt-colored mane.

"I don't get it. C'mon, think! When did I last saw that letter?"

_***Start Flashback***_

The stallion stood in front of a faux wood door, the name plaque gracing the fascia reading _EWA Regional Deputy Managing Agent, Glide Peak_. Behind him was a short corridor leading to a large room divided into endless squares by mist gray partitions, the same hue as the walls and just about every other piece of random furniture. Such a drab décor was the custom for an Equestrian Weather Agency office, even by cloud building standards.

Pushing the door open, the grey pegasus entered an office where disorder reigned. Bookcases held no books for they were stacked all across the floor, a few on the top open to a random page. The inbox sitting on the plain white desk served as the spot for an empty coffee cup, while the papers that belonged had to make do lying all over the wide surface. Past the desk was Glide Peak, his coat a dust brown while his short, combed hair had a similar but fading tint, a sign that his best pegasi days were behind him. He sat in a petite office chair, rubbing the stubble on his chin as sunlight illuminated the room through the half-broken window blinds. There was nothing of interest past the hidden panes, though – just a few more floating structures like this one and down below, Coltalapolis, an earth pony city that had nothing unique about it except a larger population size than the typical village.

"Intern Agent Flying High, umm, right?" said Glide Peak in an elderly and gruff voice.

Flying beamed, "Finally got my name right, boss! Nice!"

"I just got the letter of introduction from Ponyville, so you can head out now. I… huh." Glide scanned through all the sheets littering his desk. "I thought I put it here along with the calculations on the cloud jam from… the weather ponyologist, you know, um, whatshername?"

Fortunately, Flying was more than happy to fill in the memory lapse. "It's Radar, boss."

"Radar? Who's that?"

"The weather ponyologist."

A brief pause later, "Ohhhhhh, Radar, of course!" Glide got up from his chair and began searching the room, starting with the nearest bookcase holding random knick-knacks. "Why do I keep losing stuff?" he mumbled, knocking down a snow globe.

Flying slid onto the floor, saving the item from shattering into a million pieces. As he set the item on the desk, "Ummmm, boss?"

Moving on to a file cabinet, "Yeah?"

With a hint of concern, "Should we have Radar redo the math before I go? Remember what happened at Gemstone Canyon?"

"Gemstone Canyon?" He repeated saying the locale a few times while scratching his combed mane. "Doesn't ring a bell."

"You know, one of the unpopulated areas EWA's responsible for?" Flying answered.

Glide shut the drawer with a click. "What about it?" he asked, turning to face his subordinate.

"Remember? Radar did the math and she said there was too much water in the river at the bottom of the canyon, so I punched out all the storm clouds?" Flying stopped, hoping that was enough information to jog Glide's memory.

The elder shrugged, "And?"

Flying sighed to himself. "River dried up, boss. Had to get new clouds shipped from far away and everypony that lived downriver was mad at me?"

Ding! The light bulb came on but all that happened was Glide patting Flying on the shoulder before circling around his desk, scanning the dusty floor. "Oh, that was a long time ago, Fred."

Flying quickly corrected, "Um, that was two weeks ago, boss. Oh, and my name's—"

Glide stepped on two envelopes next to his chair. "Ah! Here they are."

In seconds, the elder stallion was back on his small chair, sifting through the first envelope's contents. Glide muttered a few noises of acknowledgement as his eyes skimmed across the parchment. After reading the last word, he reached for a stamper labeled _Accepted _and pressed it onto the sheet.

"Calculations look good to me, Finch."

Flying glanced aside, "Flying, boss."

"Sorry," he remarked, opening the second envelope. "You look like a Finch. Anyways, let's see what this introduction letter says."

Glide cleared his throat:

_Dear Mr. or Ms. EWA Pony, _

_Thank you so much for helping us with our little problem. I will meet you inside Sugarcube Corner at noon Saturday to help get you started. I look so forward to meeting you!_

_Yours truly,_

_Pinkie Pie_

The old stallion folded the letter back into the envelope, "Huh. I guess this _Pinkie Pie_ will be your partner."

"Saturday?" Flying's ears folded. "Bummer. Thought I was finally going to get some free time."

Glide released a glum sigh. "Sorry, kid. I don't have anypony else to send right now."

"I know but it's just that since I've started this internship five months ago, I haven't had time to make any new friends. I thought this was a part-time gig but I've been working full-time hours. That's why I transferred here."

Again, another sigh. "It's been a real busy month, even by our standards and we're a little short-staffed right now. That's just the way it is."

Flying rubbed the floor, realizing he was stuck with this assignment. He tried his best keeping a positive demeanor. "No prob, boss! I'll get the job done!"

Once he snatched the two envelopes, Flying opened the door to leave.

"Hold on," Glide beckoned.

Flying faced his superior once more. "Yeah, boss?"

Glide's mouth curled upwards. "Tell you what. This job should be a piece of cake. Rest up on Saturday, have some fun around this _Ponyville_ and do the job on Sunday night. Then you can have the next week off. Don't worry. We'll find a way to manage without you."

The young stallion's pupils glistened with joy. "Ah, you're cool, boss! Won't let you down!"

Glide chuckled. "Oh, and one last thing, Frank."

"Flying, boss," he corrected.

Slapping his forehead, "Sorry, ummm, _Flying_. Job well done."

"Huh?" He stared at Glide as though he had lost his mind. "But I haven't started the job yet, boss."

"I know. If you do a good job, I'll say it to you again when you get back but for today it means—" Glide stood up, delivering an aviator's salute –"good luck, kid!"

Flying repeated the gesture, "Thanks, boss!"

_***End Flashback***_

Flying moaned aloud. "That's no help at all! Huh?"

A small white object lying at an angle by a pine tree's trunk moved, catching the stallion's attention. How peculiar, he thought. It was many feet away from the saddlebags and he couldn't blame the wind; there was only a light southerly breeze. However, he had a hunch why that envelope was over there. All he had to do was head on over to its location and lift it for confirmation. Flying found his culprit, a small green turtle.

"Aha!" he exclaimed with a smirk. "Playing hide and seek again, Leo?"

The reptile nodded with a smile.

Flying wagged his foreleg at the turtle, "_Way_ too obvious! You can do better than that!" He sighed. "Well, I guess you don't wanna ride on the saddlebag anymore. I'll let you ride on my head from now on, okay?"

He tried grabbing his turtle, but his pet sidestepped just enough to evade his grasp. This was another game the reptile loved playing and given his species' overall reputation, he certainly defied expectations. Those gray hooves couldn't touch him the second time, nor the third. Too bad his owner had plenty of practice doing this.

"I gotcha!" Flying held Leo toward the sun. "I hit my average that time!"

After securing his turtle between his ears, Flying returned to the lumpy saddlebags and strapped them back onto his sides. The combined weight had him grunting for more wing flaps, but eventually, he rose above the surrounding trees and aimed toward a crevice carved on the nearby mountainside. With a tug, his goggles shielded his eyes once more from the sun's glare. His business in this region was over but rather than accelerate forwards, Flying turned his head for one last look at the floating cloud jam. From this distance, it was an ivory tower ascending to the heavens, impressive and yet, somewhat calming to a casual observer.

Yet, Flying felt some uneasiness, knowing that his obligatory tour told him that this gargantuan mass was shifting its thick mass around. Clouds usually did that except how the white ripples moved was unnatural, so much that he dared not touch the surface for an irrational fear that the cloud would somehow devour him.

_No, Fly! Stop thinking silly things! Nothing to worry about!_

Addressing his turtle sitting on his forelock, "Ready, Leo?"

Leo tapped his noggin.

"Ok! Hang on, buddy! Next stop, Ponyville!"


	3. Forecast: Awkward

**Chapter 3 – Forecast: Awkward**

High noon rang the brick clock tower situated near Ponyville's Town Hall. Hovering above the structure was Flying and his traveling pet, taking in the vast scenery.

_Huh. Looks a bit old school to me but not too shabby. It's weird that I don't see any ponies walking around, though. I was hoping I could ask one of them where this Sugarcube Corner is._

He identified all the major landmarks within sight: a tree house library, the train station, a schoolhouse and a few barns by some rolling hills. Affixing the location's name to all of these made no logical sense. Then, a mile away, Flying noticed a gingerbread house near a deserted marketplace.

_Hmmmm. Maybe I should start my search there. The place does sound like some type of bakery._

After landing by the closed door, he moved his goggles to his neck area; he wouldn't need them for a while. Flying tapped the wooden façade a few times, expecting somepony to answer his knocks. After a few seconds without an answer, he checked the windows in case the owners had closed the shop for lunch. He did find a sign by the closest window, but it said _Open_. Therefore, he touched the knob and lo and behold, the door moved inwards. Past the threshold was darkness, save for faint outlines of furniture.

"Should I go in, Leo?" he asked his passenger.

The turtle tapped his head once.

Flying took baby steps into the structure as he scanned for something resembling a switch. The moment he walked a few feet on what felt like wooden floorboards, all the lights illuminated at once, temporarily blinding the stallion with piercing glare. Just as his eyes recovered, a deafening noise pierced his eardrums.

"Sur-priseeeeeeeeeeeeee!"

He stumbled onto the floor, the two large saddlebags unlatching from its straps. Somehow, his pet stayed over his now-frizzy hair and kept an indifferent face unlike his jaw-dropped owner. A few dozen ponies of every color stood around him wearing celebratory hats. Streamers hung from every rafter, balloons peppered the ceiling and a banner hung just above his head reading _Welcome Equestrian Weather Agent Pony! _No doubt about it. This surprise party was for him but why and who organized it?

As he got onto all fours, piano music began playing except there was no such instrument within the vicinity that could generate that noise. Then, Pinkie Pie slid in front of him wearing a messy black wig, microphone in hoof for a rock song.

_Welcome to Ponyville_

_We've got fun and games_

_We would like to welcome you here_

_Do you want to meet some friends?_

_Twilight, Rarity, Spike, Applejack_

_Many more to meet_

_If you believe in friendship_

_We got what you need_

_Welcome, welcome to Ponyville_

_Just watch and seeeeeeeee_

_We're going to have some funnnnnnnn!_

_Yeahhhhh!_

Flying's eyelids twitched, unable to comprehend what just happened. Should he run? Should he stay? Who is this nutty pink pony in costume?

"Ummmm, hi?" he stuttered.

The revelers stomped their hooves in approval before heading to the nearby food and punch tables. They all understood proper protocol—Pinkie had first dibs on introductions. After tossing away her get-up, she shook Flying's hoof with vigor.

"Hi! I'm Pinkie Pie! I'm so excited to meet you! I've never met someone from the, uhmmm, the DOA? No wait! EPA, EPS, GPS?"

Now it made sense. This pony wrote the letter, so she must have set up the party! He felt more at ease, although the gesture was a little overboard. "Equestrian Weather Agency, but I just say EWA. Name's Flying High." He then pointed at the top of his head. "The little guy up here is Leo."

She gazed at Leo with fascination, "Ooooooooooh! A turtle! When did you get him?"

"My dad gave him to me as a birthday gift. Said he would be good company for me, isn't that right, Leo?"

The turtle nodded.

"Oh, oh, he should say hi to Gummy! He's right over there and looks _so_ excited to meet a new friend!"

She pointed to Gummy sitting a coffee table wearing little party hat, staring off into space with nary a blink.

"Here, I'll let you introduce him, then."

Flying reached for his pet, but the turtle rolled off his head and onto the ground. Pinkie reached down for a grab, unaware of Leo's dodging skills.

"He's a slippery turtle," Pinkie remarked, adding a giggle at the end.

"Pink, here. Let me—"

Too late. Leo scurried into the crowds with Pinkie in hot pursuit. Based on where a few partygoers fell down, Pinkie had chased him through two-double doors marking the kitchen's entrance.

In the meantime, Spike and Twilight walked toward the distracted stallion. The latter had her head buried in a book labeled _Conversation Starters for Eggheads, Party Edition_.

"Put it, away, Twilight," Spike whispered. You don't want him to see it, do ya?"

"One last page," she murmured. With some levitation magic, she hid the tome below a table, making a mental note to pick it back up ASAP.

Twilight tapped the grey pony's back.

"Huh?" Flying swiveled, facing his newcomers.

Flashing a welcoming smile, "Hello! My name is Twilight Sparkle and this is my assistant, Spike—"

"—_The _#1 Assistant to the smartest pony in Ponyville," the dragon boasted.

"Spike!" Twilight reprimanded. "I already told you not to use that line!"

Spike shrugged. "What? I'm only saying the truth. There's no harm in that, is there?"

Flying stifled a laugh, "Ah, let the little dude brag a bit. I'm Flying High. You mind if I call you Twi?"

She had to ponder on a witty comeback line – tip number sixty in that handy dandy guidebook. "You can call me Twi If I can call you Fly!"

Her assistant slapped his face; the impact painful as hearing Twilight's stilted delivery.

The stallion didn't seem to mind, though, accepting the arrangement with the unicorn mare via a hoof bump.

"Hey, big dude!" Spike raised his arm. "Don't leave me hanging, bro!"

Flying easily obliged.

Twilight started at the ceiling, wondering if it was her turn in continuing the conversation. Then, she remembered a list of softball questions that any recipient could answer with ease. "So, where are from, Fly?"

"Born and raised in Cloudside," Flying responded. "Kind of a dull place, really. All the happening stuff's at the nearest earth pony beach but even that's a few hours away by air."

Good, good. Twilight already had a follow-up ready. "Cloudside? I know that's the second largest cloud city in Equestria but isn't that far away from here?"

He nodded. "Haven't back there since my birthday four months ago. That's when I got my turtle Leo."

"A _turtle_?" Spike interjected, raising an eyebrow. "Seriously? You have a turtle as a pet?"

"Yeah, little dude. I bring him with me on every job. He's—" Flying looked around the pony-crammed room "—Huh. Guess Pink's is still chasing him around somewhere."

Twilight went back to her list of questions, "So, is this your first time here?"

"Yeah, Twi. You see, my agency, EWA, has offices all over Equestria but I only transferred to this region about a month ago. I know I've been near here a few times but—" His stomach reminded him that he skipped breakfast this morning. "Oh, sorry. Um, think I can get a quick bite first?"

Standing a few feet away, Applejack overheard the conversation and immediately ran over to the group. She saw a potential new customer.

"Well, howdy, partner!" She squeezed his foreleg with a faint crunch. "Name's Applejack! Pleasure to make your acquaintance!"

"Flying High,", he answered with a slight falsetto. His tone returned once the mare released her grip. "Nice hoofshake, there. You're a strong one, aren't you?"

She tipped her Stetson, "Well, that's mighty kind to say that, partner. You need a bit of work, though. You're ain't that strong for a stallion your size. No offense."

He kept smiling, "None taken. You just took me by surprise." His belly grumbled even louder for food.

Applejack had her opening for the sales pitch. "Say, I heard you were hungry and I have just what you need!" She wheeled in her apple cart that was standing flush against the nearby wall. "How 'bout it? I gots myself apple fritter, apple twist, apple sauce, apple caramel, apple a la pony, apple surprise—"

"You don't happen to have a simple apple pie, do you?" Flying hesitantly asked.

What a silly question. Does Applejack have apple pie? She pulled out the warmest one in her inventory, cuts already made through the crust. "Only _the_ best apple pie in all of Equestria and dontcha let any other pony lead you astray! This one's on the house!"

Flying grabbed a slice, gave it a sniff and then took a nibble.

Applejack waited for him to salivate over it, just like most of her customers. She even had a bucket ready just in case. Instead, he took a second bite sans any drama, then a larger third chomp. Nothing but munching sounds and the occasional lip smack, easily the tamest reaction ever witnessed.

"Oh." The cowpony removed her hat, holding it over her chest. "I guess you don't like it. Guess that's a no sale."

Flying swallowed the last bit of pie. "My bad, AJ. It's pretty good, actually."

Applejack placed back her Stetson. "No kiddin', partner?" She then leaned closer with beady eyes. "Wait an apple-pickin' minute! You ain't just sayin' that to make me feel betta, are ya?"

"No, no," the grey pony stammered. "It's the truth!"

The cowpony sighed, realizing she questioned his honesty. "Well, okay, then."

He wiped his brow, no longer afraid of a possible bucking. "Yeah, it's just that don't usually eat _this_ type of apple pie but you know who would get a kick out this, though? My big brother! He loves pies!"

"Oh, is he here by any chance?" Applejack checked the crowds like a watcher at sea for a pony that might be his larger sibling.

Flying shook his head. "His job requires a lot of travel."

"Oh." She then clasped her hooves together. "Well, how 'bout tellin' me where he lives? Least I could do is hook him up with—"

Applejack stopped, picking up a rustling sound to her left. Swiveling that direction, "What in the hay are you doing, Rarity?"

There she was, the fashionista unicorn levitating a dull green suit in front her. Rarity had noticed a sleeve hanging out from one of Flying's large saddlebags, so naturally, curiosity brought her over for an unannounced wardrobe critique. She was swift with it too, beating the stallion's inquiry on her purpose being here.

"Oh, Darling!" Rarity spoke, adding a tsk-tsk at the end. "Do you actually have to wear this… thing? This doesn't fit you at all and it looks _so_ tacky and dreary."

"Huh?" Flying noticed the others examining the suit with curiosity. "That's just a work suit and besides, that one's not for me. Mine's in the other bag." He slapped his forehead for bad manners. "Oh, sorry!" Flying extended his foreleg. "Name's Flying High."

"_Miss_ Rarity," she replied with a delicate hoofshake. "My apologies, Mister High, but whoever made this is a sub-par tailor." Rarity touched the seams inside the olive wardrobe, "I presume this is one of those suits that stretches and expands to the pony wearing it?"

"Yes, ma'am. It's a one size fits all version in case we don't know the pony's exact body shape. The other one's already been fitted for me."

"I see." An idea suddenly materialized, announced by Rarity's gasp. "Say, I have a proposal for you if you're willing to listen."

Flying nodded.

"You see," Rarity continued, "I just happen to be the proprietor of the local Boutique. If I can just figure out the particulars of the suit's composition, I can make it a perfect fit for Rainbow Dash. It might be ghastly but the least I can do for her is to make it comfortable."

What luck! That same idea floated around his mind after hearing another agent doing something similar on a different assignment. "Oh, well, thanks, Rarity! I was hoping that I could find somepony to do an alteration around these parts. I'll go tell Pink P to meet you—"

His mind sprung a gear. Why didn't he notice from the onset that Pinkie Pie lacked wings? It was a simple brain lapse but what had activated his sweat glands was the other name Rarity mentioned, _that_ pony.

"Wait." His lips trembled, unable to parse. "R–R–Rainbow Dash?"

"Let me explain," Twilight merrily interjected. "Pinkie Pie wrote the letter to set up the party but it's actually Rainbow Dash who will be working for you. She's—" The unicorn gritted her teeth. She knew what was coming but promised Rainbow that she wouldn't spoil the surprise. "She's… running a little bit late."

It couldn't be _her_, Flying thought. He just had to ask everyone around him to be certain. "So, Rainbow Dash. Purple eyes? Rainbow colored hair?"

Twilight said in confidence, "That would be correct."

His heartbeat lost all rhythm. "A tomboy that wants everything to be cool? Blunt?"

"Oh, yes," added Rarity in an almost critical tone. "While she is my friend and I truly care about her, she can be _quite_ rude and simply lacks proper etiquette."

A lump went down his neck. "Strong and competitive?"

"And how!" Applejack answered, finishing with a headshake. "Sometimes, that girl doesn't know when to stop."

In a squeaky voice, "You mean she _lives_ around here now?"

"You got it!" Spike responded.

Flying covered his eyes, his head shaking while muttering whiny gibberish.

Those around him wondered what in Equestria was wrong with their guest. Twilight stepped forward, believing it her role to ask on behalf of the group. "What's wrong, Fly? Have you met Rainbow before or something?"

He'd rather bang his head onto the nearby wall than answer that question but other choice did he have? While he kept this can of worms shut far longer than he thought possible, there was no point picking up the pieces when these ponies _(and dragon)_ had already seen them. Then again, Flying could just stick to the basics and hope that placates them.

"My bad, every pony," he said, his tone docile. "I should clear the sky for all of you. You see, Rainbow and I met someplace a long time ago, back when we were young. We _were_ good friends but then—" Flying's head went limp – "we had a big fight, so were, um, not… friends anymore."

On cue, the gathered gasped as though they heard the worst possible thing.

"So… yeah," Flying added, frowning. "I don't think she would want to see me."

Twilight placed a hoof on his back. "Fly, I know we've just met but if you want to talk it out, we'll be happy to listen. You see, we're all good friends with Rainbow, so maybe we could help. Right, guys?"

All her friends audibly agreed.

A generous offer, the stallion thought, except he just met these ponies. How could he simply trust them unequivocally, especially if they all knew Rainbow Dash? What would stop them from siding against him? "Well, Twi, I… well—"

Before he could continue, a polite cough gave him a welcome distraction. It came from a mare whose pink mane obscured some of her face. "Umm, excuse me. I'm so sorry to interrupt every pony but I need to find the agent."

Twilight responded, "Oh, he's right here. Fluttershy, this is Flying High."

Flying hid is trepidation behind a smile, "Nice to meet you, 'Shy."

"Oh, nice to meet you. I–I need to tell you something."

His eyebrow rose, curious on what this was and why she was being so soft-spoken. "Um, okay. Go for it."

"Oh, thank you so much." She cleared her throat. "I, Fluttershy, would like to announce, proudly, announce, the triumphant… triumphant arrival… oh, I'm so nervous! I wrote this down somewhere."

Twilight's eyes shrank to mere dots. Grabbing her friend, "No, wait! Fluttershy! Stop!"

Trembling, "Did I do something wrong, Twilight?" 

"Yes! I mean, no!" Twilight bopped her head. "Ugh, look! No time to explain! You have to go outside and tell—"

Suddenly, screams erupted by the ponies closest to the exit. A few tripped as they moved away from the threshold while others pointed at a cyan bullet coming straight at them, its deafening wail unmistakable to the ear.

"Yahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

Rainbow Dash zipped inside Sugarcube Corner, knocking down every pony in her path without losing momentum. Her wing then snagged onto the hanging banner, sending her into an uncontrollable spin. Now a moving saw of doom, she sliced clean through five support columns before destroying the double doors and entering the kitchen. The moment she left, parts of the ceiling rained down on the party and its guests, its aims set for maximum destruction. Tables upended, balloons popped, punch and food took flight and mixed in with the scattering decorations. Endless dust flooded the room, as did panicked yells but the latter ceased moments once their lungs could no longer tolerate all the air pollutants.

A few seconds later, the floating brown pathogens began dissipating, first around Fluttershy who cowered in the middle of the room. She allowed a peek through her hooves, realizing that other than some crumbs on her coat, fate had saved her from any real harm. Better yet, Fluttershy noticed a batter-covered turtle scurrying out of the kitchen with a similarly messy Pinkie leaping for him.

With her animal loving instincts kicking in, Fluttershy rushed for a hug, unaware of the turtle's snappy movements. Leo spun around on its shell, avoiding her stretched out hooves once but not twice.

"You're such a cute and happy little turtle," Fluttershy cooed. "Oh, but look at all the grime on you!" Let me clean you up, my little friend!"

Fluttershy flew into the kitchen, bypassing a stunned Pinkie Pie with nary a hello. The party pony crossed her hooves but for different reasons.

"I missed the food fight!" she moaned. "You ponies had all the fun without me!"

Then, some nearby rubble shifted, its pinned victim identified by her orange coat and blonde tail. With a hefty tug, Pinkie pulled out Applejack with a baseball-sized lump on her head. Out of nowhere, she pulled out a small paper fan and began waving some fresh air.

"Whoooooo let the cows out, B–Big Mmm… mmaccccintosh?" the cowpony blubbered, stars revolving around her injury.

Meanwhile, the daredevil mare descended from one of the gaping holes on the roof. Other than a slightly bruised foreleg thanks to creating a secondary kitchen exit, the only other injury was her pride. That entrance wasn't in her top five but she had to ask her adoring fans on their opinions, just in case.

Much to her alarm, she found no admirers within Sugarcube Corner. In fact, the ponies emerging from the rubble had their smiles going the wrong direction. A few of them even started shaking their hooves at her, muttering some choice words. Even so, she had to finish the routine by greeting the crowd. Rainbow was a future Wonderbolt, after all, albeit a nervous one.

Spreading wide her hooves bearing a sheepish grin, "Ummm, ta-daaaaaaaaahhhh?"

Instead of applause, squished fruit flew her way, with a banana hitting her face.

"Hey!" she snorted. "If anything, you should be thanking me I don't charge for my performances!"

The crowds began moving toward the exit while continuing to hurl insults and food at the crash-prone mare. What none of them noticed was that some trapped partygoers struggled pushing off a table weighed down by an upstairs sofa. Then, a purplish glow enveloped both items and with a magic burst, Twilight pushed the items aside.

"Whew!" The bookworm wiped her brow. "There we go." Checking behind her, "Are all of you… ahhhh!"

Nothing was wrong with Rarity, save for a few bits of plaster embedded within her lustrous mane. What startled Twilight appeared to be a blob monster but in reality, it was Flying High covered from head to hoof in spaghetti, chocolate fudge, and just above everything else on today's menu. More so, a lumpy object protruded from his back, at least she thought that until it began moving on its own. Some of the gunk slid off, allowing dragon scales to appear.

"_Spike_?" Twilight spoke, her jaw stretching downwards.

Flying wriggled his behind and with a snap, Spike rolled onto the floor where he continued like a bowling bowl until he struck diamonds, Rarity's front hoof.

Rarity yelped. "You're dirty! Get off! Get off!" She tried shaking him off but Twilight's assistant had stuck to her like glue, much to the dragon's sheer delight. A violet aura then enveloped him, its caster straining for a tug.

"No good," Twilight bemoaned. "He's on too tight. Try shaking him off again later, Rarity."

At the same time, Rainbow flapped their way, recognizing what she believed were a friendlier group, her friends and somepony impersonating a melting wax figure. Maybe they will shower her with praise instead of fruit. "Hey guys! So, what did you think of my newest entrance?"

Hair sprung out from Twilight's hair. "What do we think?" Raising her voice, "You did something totally reckless, even after I told you it was a bad idea from the beginning and not only did you ruin the party for everypony, you've made a complete mess!" She pointed directly at Flying, who immediately shook his head. "That and you got our guest of honor completely dirty so you need to—"

"Blah, blah, blah", Rainbow responded, bored by the scolding. "You don't need to lecture me every time I do something like this. I've learned my lesson." Under her breath, "I won't tell you my plans next time."

She landed next to Flying, still oblivious to his identity with all that liquid brown oozing all over him.

"So, you're the agent, huh? Now, before you say anything, I was trying a brand new entrance. Just a few bugs to work out. Oh, I'm Rainbow Dash but I'm sure you already know who I am, being famous and all. And you are?"

Time to speak and based on how loose the sweet-scented material felt over Flying's lips, he could do just that. He didn't want to go that route; acting out a voice other than his surfer twang was not in his skill set. Running away sounded great except his gooey cover would shed off with any sudden movements.

"Ummm, you okay there?" asked Rainbow, puzzled by his silence.

Flying's eyes darted in both directions, hoping that would signal Twilight and Rarity to intervene.

They never had a chance. Pinkie, still fanning Applejack, beat them to the punch.

"He's probably just nervous to meet you!" she hollered in a cheerful voice. "He's Flying High from… somewhere, but I'm going to call him Fly-Fly!"

The unicorn duo facehoofed. They should've know Pinkie would ruin everything and yet, they let it happen unimpeded.

As for Flying, that path leading outside beckoned, as the swaying door suddenly fell off its hinges. On the other hoof, he was here for the assignment and Rainbow Dash was her partner. He just _had_ to say something at some point less he shirk his responsibilities and disappoint his superior. To his mild surprise, she spoke first.

"Oh, it's ummm, you, Flying," she stammered, avoiding direct eye contact at all costs. "Hi?"

A good start, no hostility in her tone. Flying rubbed some gunk off his mouth and then did the same to his hair. "Yeah, long time no see." His nervousness increased with each word, "I, um, I–I guess we have to work with each other, I… I guess, huh?"

Twilight and Rarity winced at the awkwardness permeating from the two pegasi. Spike continued enjoying paradise clinging onto Rarity's hoof. On the other side of the room, Pinkie munched on a bag of popcorn, eagerly awaiting the next sentence while Applejack had lost too many marbles to focus on anything.

Fifteen long seconds later, Rainbow broke the silence.

"Listen, I need to go… somewhere right now so how about telling me the plan."

"The plan?" Flying parroted.

Rainbow moaned softly. "You know, what we have to do?"

"Oh. Oh!" He hadn't thought that far ahead, so he'd have to make it up on the fly. "Yeah, well, um, let's see. Hmmmm. Okay. Rarity was kind enough to properly fit you into the work suit you'll wear for the job so—" Flying looked at Rarity's direction, hoping for some guidance.

Rarity fought for a small smile, "Yes, um, Rainbow. I'll need you to stop by the Boutique for some measurements. I think I can squeeze you in at sundown today if that's okay, darling."

Rainbow slowly nodded.

"Thanks, Rarity." All this talk about work helped relax his nerves. "Ok, the job will start tomorrow two hours after sundown. We might be up for much of the night, so catch some z's during the day. We can meet up at, um—"

"The Library!" Twilight interjected. "It's the big tree in town, Fly."

Flying delivered a quick aviator salute, the sudden motion leaving more chocolate-stained splatters on the floorboards.

Rainbow replied with a quiet, "Okay."

He glanced at the closest, open saddlebag. Thankfully, not only were the contents inside clean, Rainbow's suit lay over below a piece of ceiling, wrinkled but intact. Flying began reaching for it but stopped, realizing that his slimy foreleg wasn't suited for the job.

Without a word, Rarity's horn did all the work from a hearty shake of the suit to zipping up the bag and handing it over to Rainbow who spared no time strapping it onto her side.

Flying thanked Rarity again, and then focused again on his future partner. "There's some instructions inside. It should explain all you need to know about using the suit."

"Mhm." She found comfort making circles on the floor with her front hoof. "So… we're done? Can I go?"

They were, at least regarding the job itself. As for personal matters, they haven't even scratched the surface. Based on how often Rainbow checked the exit, it would stay that way unless he mustered the courage to bring it up himself.

He had none, especially with spectators around him.

"Yeah," he responded, sounding like a defeated opponent. "I'll leave after the job is done. Can you fly with that?"

Flying expected his former friend to disappear in a flash and yet, she continued standing there as though some mysterious force held her in place. More so, she even made eye contact for a brief second and yet, it seemed an eternity to him. Something in those magenta pearls defied his expectations, a twinge of sadness rather than deep-rooted ire about his very presence. They were calling out to him, a sign that maybe, just maybe there was hope.

"Rainbow?" he started, taking a step her way. "I—"

"Sounds like a plan," she answered, maneuvering around the stallion in haste. "I gotta go."

He reached out to her but it was no good. Rainbow ran over the fallen door, sparing no time in spreading her wings and leaving the area at maximum speed. Much like her multi-hued contrails, his short-lived optimism faded into nothingness.

At the same time, Fluttershy entered the large room with a sparkly clean Leo on hoof. Whatever delight she had helping a small animal evaporated when she sensed the somber vibes. Directly ahead, her two unicorn friends kept their heads down as though something terrible had happened while closer to the main exit, a pony-shaped goo blob stared into the horizon. To her left, Pinkie Pie fanned a semi-conscious Applejack with a popcorn bag, seemingly unaware or uncaring of the building's overall condition. Fruit punch rivers trickled across the floor, picking up torn party decorations along the way. What had been support beams stretching from floor to ceiling were now half their size, its missing portions lost among the scattered tables and splintered wood.

"Oh my," whispered Fluttershy, cupping her mouth. "Oh, the Cakes will be so unhappy when they come back from vacation."

Unaware of Fluttershy's arrival, Flying turned back around to address Twilight and Rarity. For all the disappointment he just suffered, the last thing he wanted was showing that out in the open. With all his might, he pushed his problems into a dark corner and put on an unconvincing smile.

"Don't worry about that. We'll get the job done—" His voice lowered a few octaves —"somehow." At that moment, some sludge his hindquarters slid off, landing on the floor with a distinct plop. Blood rushed to his cheeks, prompting a nervous chuckle. "Oops. Guess I need to clean myself up first."

Rarity nodded in agreement. "I can take you to the Spa, dear. I need to go there myself so I can—" She rattled her foreleg once and finally, Spike wobbled onto the floor like a football —"get my hoof cleaned."

"That will work. Now I just need to find my turtle, Leo."

Instantly, Fluttershy's ears folded for she realized that this small reptile had an owner. She fluttered his way, saying, "I'm so sorry. I didn't know he was your pet. I just found him all dirty and I just had to give him a wash."

"That's okay," the stallion calmly replied. "I'd take him back but um…" He stuck out his dripping foreleg. "Yeah, I'd rather not."

"Um, if it's all right with you, I can take care of him. You see, I'm really good with animals."

Flying raised an eyebrow. "Um, are you sure? Not that I'm grateful but Leo can be a bit of a troublemaker."

Fluttershy held up the smiling turtle, "Aw, he doesn't look a troublemaker to me. Don't worry. I'll take good care of him and he'll have so much fun with all my other animal friends. Pretty please?"

The stallion had no good reason to decline. After all, it was better than the alternative, leaving him by a nearby pond and then spending hours trying to find him. "He's all yours, then."

She hugged Leo onto her chest, her mind already conjuring fun activities.

With a brief sigh, Flying turned his focus back to the two unicorns. "Sorry if I caused a scene. I wasn't expecting for Rainbow to be here, you know?"

"It's all right," Twilight responded. "We just don't understand what's going on. Like I said, we want to help you."

His eyelids fell halfway down in contemplation. "Well, I… Twi? Let me sit on that for a bit, okay?"

"I understand."

Twilight stood silent as Rarity escorted Flying through the threshold and outside Sugarcube Corner. Once out of sight, she rubbed her chin, her mind deep in thought.

_Friends that aren't friends anymore? What in the world happened between those two? Should we even try to find out? We really need to be careful about this one or we'll just make things worse._

After a huff, she began issuing orders to the remaining individuals in the building, "Fluttershy, take _really_ good care of Leo. He'll be one less thing for Fly to worry about."

Fluttershy nodded in approval.

"Spike, go to the Spa and keep Fly company. Spike?" Twilight found him flat on the floor with heart bubbles floating over his head. With a stomp, "Spike! Did you hear one word I said?"

He stood onto his small feet, unfazed by the unicorn's outburst. "Oh, what did you say, Twilight?" he mumbled with a wide smile.

"Ugh! Hang out with Fly while he's in Ponyville!" Pointing at the exit, "Go and catch up to him! You need a bath too!"

Spike giggled. "Um, okay." He staggered through the doorway, leaving behind mushy brown paw prints.

Twilight shook her head. "What a mess! All right. Applejack, Pinkie, let's start by wiping down the… huh?"

There was no point asking for their help. Pinkie now had her Stetson on hoof as a makeshift fan for Applejack. At least the cowpony was breathing but based on that large bump on her head, she needed somepony to check that.

"Pinkie, take her to Nurse Redheart. Guess I'm stuck cleaning up all by myself, _again_."

Twilight scanned what was left of the room that had hosted a party before bedlam erupted. While she had a few spells that could repair the mess here, no magic could fix what she believed was a broken friendship.


	4. Beyond the Fog

**Chapter 4 - Beyond the Fog**

Steam, warm and soothing steam.

With a massive wooden tub inside the Spa, Flying floated on the edge, keeping his eyes above the soapy water. All the grime covering his body had washed away and after some fervent rubbing, the lenses on his goggles stretched over his head had nary a crumb. He had a guest in his midst, Spike waddling across his sights but he small dragon paid him no attention. His brief entanglement with Rarity had placed him under a spell and he had yet to recover from its effects. Flying didn't mind; he needed some peace and quiet. Too many hidden memories had floated into his consciousness, so he had to sort them in order.

Closing his eyelids, a movie began playing in faded color. Flying wanted it turned off but he couldn't find the switch. In an instant, he travelled back to when he was a colt holding onto a spinning cloud. Yes, of course! This was back when he attended Weather Camp and unfortunately, he was in a bit of a pickle. A few ponies dared him to a challenge—the one that held on the longest won. By sheer willpower, he maintained his grip but alas, the centrifugal force eventually overcame his resolve and at the worst possible time. The cloud wobbled right when he let go, the momentum throwing him at a downward angle. Just as his appendages spread for an emergency ascent, he struck the unflinching cloud surface sideways. Immediately, searing hot pain shot up his left wing.

Grimacing, he cried out, "My wing! I hurt my wing!"

Flying did have pegasi spectators to hear his yells, all of them young and frightened but not just because of a possibly serious injury. They were holding this game away from the campgrounds where no counselors would end this impermissible activity and subsequently punish all involved. No pony dared to speak except for a rainbow-mane filly standing among the crowds.

"We have to tell the nurse," said a young, scratchy-sounding Rainbow Dash.

A faded blue colt standing next to her shook his head vigorously. "We can't! Then they'll know we were playing here and we'll all get in trouble!"

Rainbow crowded the colt's face, "So? Who cares about that? We have to get some help!"

He turned around, his wings unfurled. "Fine! _You_ tell the nurse, then! C'mon, everypony! Let's get out of here!"

She growled, bearing witness to cowards flying off toward some faraway cabins. Flying expected she would chase them down but instead, Rainbow landed next to him, her expression similar to that of a worried mother.

"Can you move?" she asked.

Flying moved his left wing an inch, an act that triggered more tears down his face. "No."

Rainbow patted his head. "It's okay, Fly-Fly. Just wait here. I'll get the nurse out here for you."

He held onto her hoof, stopping her from moving. "But then they'll know what happened," he blubbered. "You're in enough trouble, already."

"It doesn't matter," she answered firmly. "I'm not leaving my friend hangin' like this!"

"No, Dashy. I'll just take myself in." He started pushing off the cloud but the constant throbbing had him hissing in pain.

"Sit down!" Rainbow held him in place.

"But—"

"No buts Fly-Fly! I'll be back!" Then, her voice became tender. "I promise."

She hovered into the air where he believed she would then head toward the nurse's office at lightning speed. Instead, she scratched her mane, her face hidden from view. "Before I forget, you… you beat my time. Congrats, I guess."

Even with his injury, that flooded him with enough pride that he rid of his frown through his tears. He never expected somepony like her to make such a statement. "I _won_? You mean I finally beat you in something?"

Wagging her foreleg at him, "Heh! Don't get used to it, Fly-Fly! I'm still better than you!"

As she left behind a trail of rainbows, he continued smiling until a voice jarred him out of his daydream. With eyes wide open, he noticed Spike had swum right up next to him. Whatever infliction had him silent for the last hour had taken its course and now had him yearning for conversation. The stallion muttered to himself for interrupting him at a bad time but he tried putting on a good face.

"So, you said you've been to an earth pony beach, right?" Spike inquired.

He moved his head up so that he could talk without ingesting bath water. "Yeah, I loved going there. My big bro and I used to surf there all the time. He was way better at it than I was, though. You really need to check it out sometime. Awesome water, palm trees, food, girls, great weather—"

"Awesome _girls_, you said?" the dragon remarked, his eyebrows moving up and down. "Well, since you've been to the beach a lot, I'm sure you learned a quite a lot. You know, like, oh, I don't know, I'm just throwing this out there, hooking up with mares?"

"Huh?" It took the stallion a few seconds before he realized where the dragon was leading him. With a suave chuckle, "I see. Eyeing somepony in mind?"

Spike gestured for Flying to come closer. Whispering, "You see—"He looked around to make sure the coast was clear "—there's a certain pony you saw today that I have a major crush on. Can you guess who it is?" He started giggling uncontrollably, believing there was no way in Equestria this stallion could resolve this mystery.

Flying rubbed his hoof on his chin for a few seconds. "Hmmm." His mind then provided a match. "Aha! It's gotta be Rari—"

The dragon clamped down his snout, his face on fire. "Not so loud, big dude."

"Got it," the stallion mumbled.

Spike released his grip on the pony's nose. "So, what can you tell me, _big stud?_"

"Big stud?' he repeated with less emphasis.

"You know?" He poked him with an elbow. "Some tips from a pro. What to say, how you act, what you buy her, get my drift?"

Oh dear. This short dragon made a wrong assumption about him. His older, better-looking brother drew all the attention from the mares. He was just the bystander or the one answering questions about his sibling's whereabouts. Standing by somepony better was bad and embarrassing advice. What could he say, though?

"How about this?" A beat later, I'll put a really good list together and give it to you before I go. Can you fly with that?"

Spike looked at him suspiciously. "Hmmm. A list, huh?" Then, he raised his hand. "Deal!" he answered, giving him a high-five.

Flying glanced at the clock hanging on the wall. The time, approaching three, had him wincing. "Oops. C'mon, little dude. We promised Rarity to stay in the lobby until she was finished. She's probably waiting on _us, _now."

Both pony and dragon pulled themselves out of the water tub, their wrinkled coats drenched with foamy liquid. Fresh towels awaited them on a table and they made haste using each one. Satisfied that a few drips constituted being dry, they went through a door and into another room where a receptionist simply looked at them a moment with feigned interest before resuming reading a magazine. Sitting on the lone green sofa was Rarity, immersed in conversation with Twilight, Pinkie and Applejack, the last holding an ice bag on top of her head. Any hopes that Flying could sneak by them and through the exit vanished thanks to Spike greeting them with a wave.

"There you are, you two," said Rarity, stroking her hair. "Impeccable timing, Flying. We just finished discussing about giving you a proper tour of the town."

"That's right," added Twilight, winking. "It may seem small and quaint but there's a lot to see around Ponyville."

Applejack tossed the ice bag into a nearby trash can. "We can even stop by the farm and have an early dinner." Grabbing her hat hanging from a rack, she placed it in its usual spot. "It's all up to you, partner. Just say the word."

Walking in fresh air wasn't the most exciting activity in the world, but it was better than being by himself in a hotel room the rest of the afternoon. "I can fly with that."

Pinkie bounced around the room, "We're going on a tour! We're going on a tour!" In a flash, she had a short, round hat and a headset. "Thank you for choosing Ponyville Tours. This is your tour guide, Pinkie Pie." She giggled, her voice amplified by the Spa's PA system. "Remember, no flash photography is allowed, please. Items can be bought at the Gift Shop at the conclusion of the tour."

"What in the…" Flying muttered.

Spike whispered, "You get used to it, _eventually_."

"We are now exiting the Spa. Follow me, please."

They all followed the self-designated tour guide through the door and into the sun's afternoon glare. The few clouds that floated in the sky disappeared one-by-one by three distant pegasi, none of them with a cyan coat. Flying wondered where Rainbow Dash was right now as cloud busting was something she loved to do back at Weather Camp. The more he dwelled on this, the more recollections of the past that became clear as the Ponyville skies. Like at the Spa, the stallion's mouth curled upwards reminiscing about old times, something Twilight noticed as they all walked down a dirt road.

The unicorn craned her neck his way, "You're smiling about something."

"Huh?" He turned his eyes toward some cottages lining the path. "Just thinking about… things."

"A bit for your thoughts, Fly?"

He had a feeling what was going on, this whole _taking a trip_ around Ponyville. This was another attempt to extract information from him but he couldn't figure out their true intent, nor did he figure out if he wanted to tell this group anything. If he said nothing, maybe Rainbow would tell them later. Maybe she already did while he cleaned himself inside the water tub. In any case, he had nothing to lose by opening his mouth. At the minimum, he could try controlling the narrative of what was his friendship with Rainbow.

"Ok, Twi," he answered with a nod. I guess I should start at the beginning."

* * *

Rainbow Dash loved sleeping on tree branches, her second favorite spot next to soft and fluffy clouds.

The forecast called for clear skies until the evening.

For convenience's sake, she chose the tree closest to Carousel Boutique as today's napping place. She needed a respite to clear her mind from what happened at the party, from her disastrous entrance to meeting a pony from her past, bringing up a cocktail of emotions that made her head throb in pain and utter confusion.

After leaving her heavy bag down on the ground, Rainbow rested her head on a pillow lying against the tree trunk. She wished for a good dream, ideally involving Wonderbolts, Sonic Rainbooms or an exciting race ending with her triumphantly holding up a trophy. Rainbow got none of those three as her imaginary world filled with floating clouds and white cabins surrounding multiple rectangular courts. She, now a filly, had just come through a set of doors when she noticed a cluster of colts huddled around the court's boundary line.

With a smirk, she strutted right up to them. "Hey, guys!" she spoke, voice cracks aplenty.

An orange colt turned around, his eyebrows slanted downwards the moment he saw her. "Who are you?"

"_The_ one and only Rainbow Dash!" she proclaimed, chest protruding with pride.

"Never heard of you," he answered with an eye roll. "What do _you_ want?"

Rainbow snorted a laugh. "What else? I wanna play!"

"_You_? Pffft! No way!" You're a_ girl_! Cloud ball is a _boys _game!"

"Nuh-uh! I know how to play _and_ I know how to win!"

Pointing toward the cabins, "Go away and knit some clouds, you loser!"

Raising her voice, "I'm _not_ a loser!" She stuck her tongue out.

"_Loser_!" the colt rebuked. Raising his hooves, he got the others to begin a derisive chant.

"You're the losers!" she shrieked. She stomped the floor, "Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!"

The group continued calling her a loser.

Her jaw shuddered. "You better stop it or I'm gonna… I'm gonna—"

They wouldn't stop, the constant jeers becoming louder and faster by the second. Her hooves trembled, wanting nothing more than stopping them with a hoof of the face but she was just one compared to at least seven other colts. Even worse, Rainbow was already in trouble for disruptive behavior in the mess hall on the first day of camp. Another reprimand might get her kicked off entirely. If she only had a friend to back her up in this moment but she made none her first week here. No pony would defend her from an emotional barrage far worse than the worst sucker punch.

Trickles ran down her cheeks. All she could do was retreat, hoping to hold back her weeping until she returned to her room and find the closest pillow. Two steps into her gallop, a new voice behind her stopped her in her tracks.

"Are you boys afraid of losing to a _girl?_"

Clearly, the speaker was provoking the group rather than her. With a covert head check, she noticed all the others facing a grey colt with scrabbly blue hair. Rainbow didn't' recall seeing anypony with the game ball in their possession, nor did that voice match all the ones she had heard. He must've been in the rear all this time, staying quiet.

The orange colt gently prodded her newfound defender, "Hey, stay out of this, Flying! We almost didn't invite you to this game!"

Flying rolled his eyes. "Cool your jets, Light Beam. I think all of you just don't want her to play because you're scared."

"_What_?" Light Beam retorted.

"That's right. You're all just scared little ponies! Scared of losing to a girl!"

Rainbow peeked once again, seeing Flying waggle his hindquarters at the group chanting _Scared_ _little ponies_. A bite of the lips stifled her giggles but she feared he was pushing this too far. If the colts turned on him, she already decided to help him, regardless of the consequences.

There was no need to play hero.

"Fine!" Light Beam barked, adding a snort. "I'm not scared. You'll see! Hey! Loser!"

She hated responding to that, but did so by turning her head ever so slightly.

"If you're really that good, you can join Flying," the orange pony said, his tone dripping with malevolence. "You two _losers _can lose together. Six against two. "

Those were lousy odds but that was beside the point. She had a chance and that's all she needed for her confidence to swell. After rubbing all the evidence of her weakness, she faced them, sneering, "You guys just lost the game!"

The colts cackled at her proclamation before leaving one-by-one past the boundary line and into the court proper. Eventually, the one pony that saved her from utter humiliation remained, ball secured by his side with a warm smile.

Rainbow fluttered right next to him and for a moment, parroted his welcoming expression before flying past him with her trademark smugness. "C'mon! Don't drag me down out there, Fly-Fly!"

"Huh?" he responded, chasing after her. "Fly-Fly? No, my name's Flying High."

"No," she casually dismissed. "I'm going to call you Fly-Fly."

She heard his despondent sigh. "Ok, whatever. But if you're gonna call me that, I'll call you… um, Dashy."

"_Yuck,_" Rainbow answer, her face muscles contorting. "You know, be lucky I'm in a good mood today. I'll let that one slide… this time."

_Cheep! Cheep! Cheep!_

"What the—"

Rainbow suddenly rose up from the tree branch, discovering that a bird had landed near the canopy and disrupted her dream with its cheerful song. She couldn't be mad with the creature for the sun had all but called it a day, an ideal time for her to rise from her slumber. Rarity should be arriving any moment and off in the distance, there she was along with three of her friends.

_They're always there for me. _ Rainbow flashed a smile. _I just wish I could tell them how I feel but I'm not good at that kind of stuff. Me and Fly-Fly, would they even understand what happened between us? I'm not even sure I do anymore, not after all this time._

She returned to a napping position on a branch, willing to wait for them a while longer while she sorted out the millions of thoughts bouncing around her head.

Meanwhile, rounding the road's last bend, Applejack noticed her friend on the tree. "Hmmmm." Leaning toward Twilight, "Are you sure this is gonna work, Twi? You know how stubborn Rainbow Dash can be. Something tells me she may not spill the hay."

"We _have _to try!" the bookworm answered with grit. "We have to hear her side of the story, somehow."

Pinkie skipped alongside the group, "She'll talk to me! I'm going to make her frown upside down! I bet a song will do it!"

"Pinkie, please," Rarity snapped. "This is serious, dear. Just try to keep her spirits up, okay?"

"Okey dokey lokey," the party pony responded, reverting to a simple walk.

Twilight exhaled relief. "Well, I'm just glad Spike convinced Fly to go with him to Fluttershy's so they could _check up on Leo_. At least Fly won't know what we're doing."

"Should we mention anything he said to us?" Rarity asked. "He never mentioned that we couldn't."

Twilight shook her head. "But he didn't say we could. Besides—" She briefly levitated a tome from her attached saddlebag—"this book may be able to help us but we need every bit of information from Rainbow for my plan to work. Just remember, Rarity, please take your time in fitting the suit for Rainbow. We don't know how long this may take."

"I understand, dear. I have my standards but in this situation, I'm willing to make an exception, even if it pains me to do so."

Twilight turned to Applejack. "You're Rainbow's best friend so she may be willing to talk to you the most. Just don't upset her too much."

Applejack nodded. "Gotcha, Twi. I know we butt heads sometimes but I ain't gonna make her mad and shut the barn door on me."

By now, Rainbow had hopped off the tree and made her way to the Boutique's front entrance with her luggage.

"Good luck, everypony," Twilight whispered to her friends.

Moments later, Rainbow greeted them in a downtrodden tone.

"Hey, Rainbow," they all replied in return.

Rainbow rubbed her mane, "So, how long this is going to take, Rarity?"

Rarity stumbled on her words, "Oh, umm, I'm not exactly sure, dear. It could take… a while."

_A while_ sounded like an eternity for Rainbow Dash. Knowing her friends, that meant plenty of time to converse about just about anything, including the subject about her situation with Flying High. The more she dwelled on it, the more she wanted to spill it out into the open so she could get rid of all these contradictory emotions and be at peace.

Rainbow fought for a smile. "Ok! Ummmm, do you girls have to go somewhere right now? You see, I'm, um, just wanted to know we can talk about… stuff."

Twilight's eyes widened. This was the opening she was hoping for but it seemed too easy and convenient. Maybe Rainbow overheard their conversation and she had planned something in response. No, the unicorn thought. If that were true, then she'd do anything to hurry this visit. Whatever the case may be, the plan would go on as planned.

"Sure!" Twilight answered, beaming. "Stuff it is!"

Rarity unlocked the door to her Boutique. "Well, then. We shouldn't keep the client waiting. Let's get the magic started, shall we?"


End file.
